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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29094099">An Unexpected Start</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReluctantMandalore/pseuds/ReluctantMandalore'>ReluctantMandalore</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Boba Fett Babysitting Archives [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars - All Media Types, The Mandalorian (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Gen, boba babysits, its literally just boba babysitting, no reader, no romantic pairing - Freeform, thats the series, uncle boba</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 12:34:30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,037</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29094099</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReluctantMandalore/pseuds/ReluctantMandalore</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Boba Fett has been tasked with babysitting the child for the first time—and of course he somehow manages to lose him in a matter of minutes.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Boba Fett Babysitting Archives [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2214597</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>92</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>An Unexpected Start</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is the first part to the Boba Fett Babysitting Archives I was talking about on my tumblr. I thought it was fitting to begin with the first time Boba babysat and lost the child in a matter of minutes. So enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When one heard the name Boba Fett, they usually thought of the legendary bounty hunter with a fierce reputation. A fearsome foe who many wouldn’t even dare to cross paths with. A man who was known for his vicious and nearly flawless execution of bounty hunting. The idea of such a person babysitting never even crossed their minds. He was Boba Fett—a deadly man with even deadlier skills—he was not a babysitter.</p><p>No, Boba Fett was not a babysitter by any means. Although, that knowledge didn’t seem to stop the other Mandalorian from requesting his services as one. In his defense, Boba did agree to the arrangement, regardless of everyone's surprise and shock. The man himself didn’t see any issues with accepting such a task. A job was a job after all. Whether it was hunting down quarries, or looking after a small green child for a friend. He really didn’t care what the job entailed as long as he was getting paid accordingly. Actually... Was he getting paid?</p><p>The sound of movement had pulled Boba from his thoughts, and he found himself locking his gaze with that of the child currently in his care. The child in question of course being Grogu, the son of his friend and newly appointed ruler of Mandalore, Din Djarin. They were travelling aboard the Salve I for the moment, and were on course for his own recently acquired palace on Tatooine. He had just picked up the little one from his father, and was trying to figure out what exactly he should be doing while babysitting the child.</p><p>“So… what do kids your age like to do?”</p><p>Silence was the only reply he had received. The child’s head tilting slightly as he peered up at the man with his wide pools of wonder. The small creature hadn’t said a word in response to his question, and honestly he wasn’t even sure if the child was capable of proper speech by this point.</p><p>In his time around the child with Din, other than the odd babble or baby gibberish, he hadn’t heard the little one say a single word. He had however, seen the child use his force abilities. He even knew that the child was undergoing some training as a Jedi when he wasn’t staying with his father. Something which had made him second guess wanting to spend any alone time with the little creature.</p><p>Boba knew that by accepting the job from the other Mandalorian, he was technically looking after a jedi—or at least a future one. It was a thought which had made his stomach churn with displeasure, so he tried not to think too much about it. He adored his little nephew after all—jedi or not—but that didn’t change how he felt about the jedi as a whole.</p><p>The bounty hunter had ended up looking away from the child again thanks to his wandering thoughts. Still finding himself feeling tense and unsure of what exactly he was supposed to be doing. In all honesty, he had no idea how to look after a child, and out of everyone he was probably the least qualified to do so. It wasn’t as if anyone had taught him how to care for one, and his own childhood was definitely not the greatest reference to go by. Then, with adding in his own distaste for jedi on top of all that—it had been made clear he was probably the least suitable choice. Even so, Din had chosen him anyway.</p><p>“You know I was only a little older than you when I started to learn how to hold a blaster,” He had commented absentmindedly, the fond memories he had of his own father filtering back to him. A smile now crossing his features at the thought, his gaze briefly locking with that of the weapons cabinet he possessed onboard, “I feel like your buir would kill me though if I let that happen.”</p><p>The Mandalorian had let out a chuckle to himself, shaking his head as he turned to face the child once more. Though, he had soon felt his heart drop at the sight before him. His smile morphing into a frown and worry beginning to consume him, as he quickly began to catch up to speed with what he saw—or rather—didn’t see.</p><p>The child was gone.</p><p>Instant panic had flowed through Boba at the realization and he stood quickly from his spot in the chair. His head whipping around in a desperate attempt to locate where the little one had gone, looking around the room in a hurry, “kid?”</p><p>Once again there was no reply, only the sound of the ship’s engine could be heard echoing off the walls. Another wave of worry had washed over him then, soon pushing for him to begin searching anywhere and everywhere he could think to look. In the crates, under the control panel, in the hatches—it didn’t matter where or what it was—Boba checked each and every place he could. Though no matter how hard he looked, he couldn’t seem to find any trace of the child. It was almost as if he had completely vanished.</p><p>“Kid this ain’t funny!” He had shouted, his voice laced with frustration and undeniable distress.</p><p>Not many things could scare Boba Fett, but losing the child was devastating for him in the moment. Yeah he didn’t like the jedi, and yes he was definitely not a babysitter, but he still cared for the little womp-rat.</p><p>Boba continued to take a look around the ship—still making sure to check every nook and cranny as he did. The more he had looked though, the more concerned he had become. His search only becoming more desperate the longer it went on. He had never felt so hopeless in his life, not even when he was on brink of death.</p><p>“Grogu!” He had called out again, wondering briefly if maybe the child would answer to his name, “Grogu where are you?”</p><p>Only silence was his reply again and by now some hours had passed with no sign of the child. This wasn’t good at all. Even worse, he knew he’d have to contact Din.</p><p>Boba had paced back and forth, checking a few new spots for the child as he did, while waiting for the other Mandalorian to answer his call. Din was going to kill him and honestly he might just let him. Today could be the day that Boba Fett officially died.</p><p>“Hey Boba!” Din had said rather cheerfully, clearly not having been to one of his important mandalore meetings yet, “If you’re looking for the metal ball it's in the front pocket of the baby bag.”</p><p>Boba’s gaze had shifted over to the overstuffed bag at his friend’s words. He wished he was calling for such a simple thing. He honestly didn’t know how he was going to break this down for the single father. How do you tell someone you lost the most important thing to them in the universe?</p><p>“It’s not that Din.” He had said, trying to keep his voice steady as he spoke, not wanting to raise too much concern in the other man. “It’s… Well honestly you might want to sit down for this.”</p><p>A long drawn out pause had followed after Boba’s suggestion, “Boba is something wrong?”</p><p>“Yeah you could say that.” Boba had muttered, more to himself than to Din, looking away at the sudden feeling of not being able to look the other man in the face. An odd sense of guilt blossoming inside his gut—something he wasn’t used to in the slightest.</p><p>“Did something happen?” Din had asked, concern evident in his voice as he spoke, “Is grogu ok?”</p><p>“Din…” Boba had trailed off, still unsure of how he was supposed to tell the man before him that he had lost his only child. “You see... it’s just a bit complicated and Grogu he-”</p><p>A sudden shrill of giggles had cut off Boba's words, the sound making his head snap to the direction it had come from. His eyes widening underneath the helmet at the sight of a small shadow with large pointed ears dashing by the opened hatch which lead back into the hull.</p><p>The child.</p><p>“Boba! What’s going on?”</p><p>Hearing Din’s voice had brought him back to reality and he quickly replied to the worried father, “Nothing! Everything’s under control. Ret'!”</p><p>Before the other Mandalorian could reply, he had shut off the communicator and made his way back to the hull. Nearly tripping over himself in his hurry, as he made his descendant into the other room, and followed the distant sounds of the child’s laughter. Ignoring the beeping of his comlink as he made his way closer and closer to where he’d hopefully find the child.</p><p>Luckily, to his undeniable relief, he did in fact come face to face with the child once more. Only this time the little one sat by an open crate—one where he usually stored some necessary rations onboard—snacking on some cookies he had taken.</p><p>Boba blinked in surprise at the sight before him, not expecting to stumble upon it and unsure of how exactly to react. Had the little one been here the whole time? Unlikely. Seeing as the man had looked here earlier in the day and he had literally just followed him here. The child had most likely come looking for something to eat—considering most of his time before was spent avoiding and hiding from his bounty hunter uncle.</p><p>Another sound from his comlink had made him check it once more, an irritated sigh leaving him from the list of missed calls he had recently received from the child’s father. Din must be in a worried state now from how the call ended. He'd have to call him back at some point, though right now all the older man wanted to do was sit down and relax. Besides—the other Mandalorian would be in an important meeting soon anyways—the callback could wait.</p><p>Boba had ended up looking down to the child again. Who had giggled up at him happily at seeing the man’s attention brought back to him once more. A small huff of a laugh had left Boba at seeing the little one’s excitement and he shook his head in disbelief at the scene before him. Soon muting the comlink and settling himself next to the child on the floor, as another tired sigh had left him.</p><p>“This definitely did not start off as planned.” He had hummed tiredly, a reminder of his age beginning to catch up on him, as he began watching over the little one snack on his acquired cookies. Not having the heart, nor the energy, at the moment to take them away and scold him for taking them.</p><p>The sight of the child had soon brought another smile to his face anyway. Leading him to fondly rub the child’s ear the same way he had seen Din do so many times before, “You’re quite the little womp-rat alright, aren’t ya?”</p><p>A soft coo had left the child from the man’s gesture, and he moved to hold up one of the cookies towards him. He had stared at the cookie and the child for a long moment, surprised by the little one's gesture. Soon though, he had felt another laugh rumbling in his chest, letting it escape him loudly and brightly. This laugh of his being deeper and more joyful sounding than his usual chuckle. Making the child practical bounce with glee at hearing it for the first time.</p><p>Boba had removed his helmet then with an audible click, setting it to the side, before looking back to the kid. A wide grin spread across his features as he leaned forward and accepted the cookie from the child. Taking a bite and watching as the little one babbled in delight at being able to share cookies with his uncle. The sound of his cheerful giggling making all the man’s earlier worries melt away.</p><p>“You know what kid? I think we’re going to have a swell old time together.”</p>
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